Machine for feeding biscuits and the like



April 21, 1931. J, H. l.. BQETTCHER l1,801,997

MACHINE FOR FEEDING BISCUITS AND THE LIKE /Kn ATTORNEYS April 21, 1931J. H. L. rBOETTCHER 1,801,997

MACHINE FOR FEEDING BISCUITS 4.PANB THE LIKE v File@ March 4, 192s 6sheets-sheet 2 ll lllvl l! lllllllllllll k j INVENTOR 9z- B .MM

K L, ATTORNEYS `April' 21,4 1931 J. H. L. Escura'rTcHl-:R-A 1,801,997A

MACHINE FOR FEEDING BISCUITS AND THE LIKE Filed March 4, 1926 6Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR mi. VBY

.; ATTORNEYS Y April 21, 1931- J. H. L. BoETTcHER 1,801,997

KACHINE FOR FEEDING BISCYUITS AND THE LIKE @ATTORNEYS April '21, 1931.J. H. l.. Bor-:'rTcHER MACHINE: FOR FEEDING BISCUITs AND THE Lrx FiledMarch 4 1926 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENToR @am (MEC W -S ATTORNEYS April 21,1931- J. H. L. BoETTcHER 1,801,997

MACHINE FOR FEEDING B ISGUITS AND THE LIKE Filed March 4, 1926 v 6Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR M0431 BY 2f ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 21, 1931UNITEDSTATES g PATENT OFFICE `JACOIB HEINRICH LUDWIG BOETTCHER-,- OF GiNGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSGNOR TO'DE- viens CORPORATION or 'or New JERSEY NEWJERSEY, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION l'l'ACI-INE FOR .FEEDING'BISGTS ND THE LIKE Application filed March `Il, 19.26.` SeralvNo.92,184.

This invention `relates tol a machineitor feeding biscuits andthe like,and has tor an object to provide apparatus whereby biscuits may be takenfrom a traveling conveyor that brings them from the ovens, and fed tocartons or packages without being' touched by the operative.

. Another object consists in providing ap.- paratus whereby a pluralityot stacking and path without inis intermittent. and automaticallylcontrolled 1` so as to be coordinated with the operation of the stackingand feeding devices.

Another object consists in providing apparatus of this character whichisrarranged so asvto. be adaptable for construction in banks so that aconsiderable number of sets of the operating parts may be simultaneouslyoperated from a givendriving mechanism.

Another object consists in Vproviding certain improvements in the form,construction, and-arrangement ot the several parts whereby the yabovenamed rand otherobjects may effectively be attained. Y

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings in whichV i Fig. 1 represents a side` elevation;

Fig. 2 represents a broken plan view;

F ig. 3 represents a broken end elevation;

F ig. t representsa longitudinal vertical section; Y

Fig. 5 representsa-side elevation, on an enlarged scale, showing .theparts in positions di'lerent from those represented in F ig.y 1.

Fig. -6 represents ;a diagrammatic view illustrating` the movement ofcertain parts.

The apparatus includes a frame` work which embodies legs 1 that supportlongi tudinal members 2, 3,.,whichare united by cross members il, 5, and6.

.A pair of vertical supports 7,18, projectAV upwardly from thevlongitudinal members 2, 3, near one end thereof, and the said supportsare braced by a cross bar 9.

Jfeeding devices may continuously and succes-VV or the like to thestacking and feeding devices in order that the feed f vcomposed Ot leafsprings or the like.

or the like, which are represented in dottedw lines and denoted by 13 sothat they may be received in rchannels project laterally therefrom,immediately above the upport portion of the belt 2.

t will beunderstood that the oncoming biscuits, being fed by the belt12, -will continuously urge'k the preceding `biscuits to advance alongthe channels 14, 15, in the direction indicated by lthearrow on Fig. 1and, of the biscuits may be intermittently interrupted, for a purpose tobe hereinafter described, I provide ali-intermittently actuated stop.The saidstop con sists ot apair of lingers 16, 17, which may be Theyhave'their operative ends projectingy downwardly into the channels 14,15, so as to be adapted to engage the top ofthe biscuits immediatelybelow them. The other ends of the fingers 16, 17, aresecured to brackets18,19y which are carried by a rod 20 that has its ends mounted in arms21, 22, that are pivoted in the vertical supports 7, 8. A pair of droparms 23, 24, have their upper ends connected to the rod 20. TheyarefL-shaped, as .clearlyl sho-wnin Fig. 1,' and their lower extensionsare lunited into a single horizontal extending supported in standards27, 28, that project 14, 15, which are suit-v ably tixed to the verticalsupports y7, 8, and

upwardly on an` angle from: longitudinal Y members 2, 3, ot themachineframe.V

The horizont-al arm 25 carries an anti-triction roller 29 that isadapted for contact with a cam which is fixed on a shaft 30 thatr is'journaled in the longitudinal trame mem# bers 2, 3. The said cam iscomposed of three discs 31, 32, 33, and said discs have arcuate slots,denoted generally by 34, 35, formed therein, kwhich are traversed bybolts 36, 37. The discs 32 and 33 are yof greater diameter than theintermediate disc 31 and they have notches, denoted generally by 38, 39,formed in their peripheries, the notches on one disc being adapted toregister with the notches on the other. It is these notches which serveas the cam surfaces for cooperative action with the roller 29 on thehorizontal arm 25 and it will be seen that, by loosening the bolts 36,37, the discs 32 and 33 may be circumferentially adjusted with respectto each other so as to vary the location and extent of the notches 38,39 in the combined discs, thereby varying the moment at which the roller29 is allowed to drop into and is forced out of the notches 38, 39. Itwill be understood that the disc 31 is fast to the shaft 30, while thediscs 32 and 33 are rotatable thereupon. After the desired adjustmenthas been made, the tightening of the bolts 36, 37 will lock the discs 32and 33 to the disc 31 so as to make them, in eiect, fast to the shaftand operated by it.

The shaft 30 carries a gear 40 which is pinned, or otherwise suitablysecured, thereto, and meshes with a gear 4l that is fast on a powershaft 42 which is journaled in the lon itudinal frame members 2, 3, andactuate from a suitable source of power, such as a motor, not shown.

In order to actuate the belt 12, a sprocket wheel 43 is fixed on the endof the shaft 42 and a chain`44 leads from said wheel to a sprocket wheel45 fixed on the shaft 10 that carries the belt pulley 11.

From the foregoing arrangement it will be seen that, when the shaft 30is rotated, the roller 29 will periodically come into register with thenotches 38 and 39, thereby allowing the horizontal arm 25 and verticaldro arms 23, 24 to move downwardly. The sai downward movement will bringthe lingers 16, 17 into contact with the tops of the biscuits lyingimmediately below them in the channels 14, 15 and thereby stop thedelivery of the biscuits during the period the roller 29 remains in oneor the other of said notches. While this stop is eiiective, the belt 12will merely slip under the line of biscuits 13 being delivered into thechannels, thus allowing for the hindrance of delivery without injury tothe biscuits. As soon as the roller 29 passes out of either of thenotches 38, 39,

l the fingers 16, 17 will be lifted from the biscuits and the deliverywill again take place.

The channels 14, 15, have their inner ends terminating in a pair ot'corresponding down wardly sloping slides 46, 47, the lower ends of whichopen into a pair of corresponding downwardly curved guides 48, 49. Theupper end of the guides and lower end of the slides are supported by abracket 49* that projects from the uprights 7, 8 andthe lower end of theguides rests upon the cross member 6.

According to the scheme of this apparatus, the biscuits pass down theslides 46, 47 and are then taken by conveyors along the curved guides48, 49, until, at the bottom thereof,

they are suitably fed to cartons or packages.

A plurality of such conve ors are provided and they are arranged so thateach one operates in all the guides, the one following the other in thesame endless path from one end of the guides to the other and then backto the first end. The construction and operation of one arm and free endof each conveyor and its actuating mechanism is clearly shown in Fig. 4and will now be described.

The conveyor is marked 50 and consists of a pair of arms which havetheir :tree ends fashioned to constitute open structures having bottoms51, tops 52, and backs The area of each bottom is such as toconveniently support the biscuits, and the spacing oi' the tops 52 fromthe bottoms 51 is such as to readily accommodate the number of biscutsdesired to be supplied to each carton or package.

The other ends of the conveyor arms are iixed at 54 in spaced relationon an angle arm 55 that is fast to a rock shaft 56 which is journaled ina swing member 57 that is pivoted on a rod 58 which is mounted in theupper ends of the standards 27, 28. Another arm 59 has one end fast tothe rock shaft 56 and its other end pivoted at 60 to a link 61 thatextends downwardly at an angle and has its lower end provided with ananti-friction roller 62. The said roller is litted to engage theperiphery of a cam 63 that is fixed near one end of the driven shaft 30,whereby the rotation of the said cam will reciprocate the link 61 andarm 59, thereby rocking the shaft 56 and, hence, oscillating the arm 55.

,In order to insure that the roller 62 shall maintain contact with thecam 63, a spring arm 64 is arranged with one end pivoted to the end ofthe link 6l at which the roller 62 is located, while its other end ispivoted at 65 in a lug 66 which projects from the cross member 9 thatspans the uprights 7, 8. Another lug 67 extends from the cross member 9in a direction opposite to the lug 66, and a retractile coil spring 68has one end secured to the lug 67 and the other end secured to thespring arm 64 intermediate its extremities. This construction causes theroller 62 to be yieldingly urged at all times toward the cam 63.

When the arm 55 is moved in one direction, the conveyor 50 will be swungdownwardly, from the position shown in Fig. 4, throughout the length ofthe guides 48, 49, until it comes to a substantially vertical positionnear the lower extremity of the guides; and when the arm 55 is moved inthe opposite direction it will impart opposite movement to the conveyor50.

In order that the operative end of the conveyor 50 may be moved out ofthe way during its return travel to the top of the guides 48, 49, so asto permit downward movement of the other conveyor in the said guides,provision is made for lifting the conveyor 50 away from the guides by amovement substantially `i from the point d to the point e.

thelong curved face of cam 87 is not concentric but has a lesser radiusat the point b than it has at the point a; and this is what imparts theslow downward movement to conveyor 75 while the biscuits are beingstacked therein. The ioating pivot 81, however, remains stationaryduring this period because the face of cam 98, which is being traversedbyroller 97, is concentric. Continued rotation of the cams moves roller97 from point b to point c, and moves roller` 86 from point b to pointc. During this travel the floating pivot 81 also remains stationary, butpivot 84is moved from point b to point e because the face of the cam 87from b to c drops rapidly toward the axis of rotation of the cams. Thisimparts the downward swinging movement to the filled conveyor 75 so astocarry it to the bottom of the guide 49. Continued rotation of the camsmoves roller 97 along cam 98 from point c to point d, and moves roller86 along cam 87 from point c to point d. This causes floating pivot 81to move from its lower position to its upper position marked w, becausethe surface of cam 98 from` the point c, to the point d passes abruptlyaway from the axis of rotation of the cams. The result of this action isto lift the .conveyor` 75 vertically away from the guide 49, whileleaving it adjacent the lower portion of the guide. The next step in therotation of the cams moves roller 97 along the surface` of cam 98 fromthe point d to the point e, and moves roller 86 along cam 87 This swingspivot 84 from point c to point e because the surface of cam 98 from I)tce is concentric with the axis of rotation while the surface of cam 87from d to e moves away from the axis, and this action correspondinglyswing-s the conveyor to a point near the upper end of the guide 49,though spaced from it. The final step in the complete rotation of thecams moves roller 97 along the surface of cam 98 from e to a, and movesroller 86 along the surfaceof cam 87 from e to a. This causes Hoatingpivot 81 to pass from its upper position w to its lower position becausethe surface of cam 98 from e to a4 slopes abruptly toward the axis-ofrotation-of the cam. The surface of ycam V87 from e to a moves abruptlyawayfrom the axis in order to permit the movement of roller 86 to accordwith that of roller 97 and thereby prevent swinging movement of thepivot 84, so that the conveyor 75 will be from the limit of its upwardswing projected end of the guide directly toward the upper 49. v

In operation, as the operative end of one of the conveyors comes to theposition of the conveyor in Fig. 1, the lingers 16, 17 are automaticallylifted from the biscuits being delivered and the latter begin to rundown the slides 46, 47, following one another into the operative end ofthe conveyor 50. During this period said conveyor is moving down veryslowly, the speed of its downward movement being suilicient tocompensate for the stacking up of the biscuits, one on top of the other,in the said conveyor. After a given number of biscuits have thus passeddown the slides and into the conveyor, which number is pre-determinedaccording to the circumstances under which the machine is beingoperated, the fingers 16, 17, are automatically moved downwardly so asto contact with the biscuits in the channels 14, 15, and thereby arrestthe feed. At this instant the position of the parts is represented bythe conveyor 50 shown in Fig. 5.

In order to insure that the last biscuit passing into the conveyor doesnot hit against either top 52 and become injured, each said top ispivoted at 99 in a clip 100 secured to the back 53 by a bolt 101. Eachsaid top 52 is formed like a bell crank and its rearward extension isengaged by a leaf spring 102 that is fastened to the clip 100 so as toyleldingly urge the top into orizontal position. Pins 103 are fixed inthe lower end of the slide 46 in such position as to be engaged by thefront edge of each top 52 just before the last biscuit is fed into theconveyor 50, and this engagement of each top with a pin 103, coupledwith the downward movement of the conveyor, lifts each top, as indicatedin Fig. 5, so as to eliminate any possibility of contact between it andthe last incoming biscuit. As soon as each top has passed out ofengagement with a pin 103, the spring 102 automatically brings it backinto normal position. It will be understood that the tops 77 of theother conveyor, 75, are constructed, arranged and operated in the sameway.

Inasmuch as the guides 48, 49, have bottoms and sides, the cooperationof the said guides with the operative ends of the conveyors forms asubstantially complete enclosure for the biscuits during the downwardmovement of the conveyors 1n the guides, thereby protecting the biscuitsduring such travel.

When the conveyor reaches the lower art of the guides 48, 49, thebiscuits carried by it are urged between a spring catch 104 and a springblade 105. The catch is secured to one side of the guide and has itsnose projecting through a hole therein so as to be in the path of travelof the biscuits. It is constructed and operated vsubstantially like thewell knownV umbrella catch. The blade spring is also fast to the guideand has its inner end projecting through a hole in the side of the guideand standing out into the path of the biscuits. All the biscuits carriedby a conveyor will be caused to pass the catch 104, pressing it asideduring their passage. After they have thus passed the catch the latterwill spring out and serveto support the last biscuit in uprightposition. The inwardly projecting blade 105 will yieldingly from thelower end of the guide into a carton or package, substantially assetforth in my United States Patent No. 1,518,556 dated 'December9,1924; or the lot of b-iscuits may be fed into a carton or package-inany otherl suitable mannen Y The operating cams are so shaped that,after a conveyor has been loaded with biscuits, its downward movement inthe O'uides is very rapid and, likewise, the movements of the conveyorstoward and away from the guides are rather sudden. On the contrary, thedownward movement of the conveyors at the time they are being loadedwith biscuits is very gradual so as justA to accommodate the flow ofthebiscuits down the slides 46, 47.

As previously described, each conveyor has two arms and two operativeheads and cooperates with both guides 48, 49, so that two lots ofbiscuits are simultaneously fed down through the guides by eachconveyor. The conveyors work in the same manner and follow the samekpaths of travel, each one succeeding the other. It will, of course,beclear that the construction above described can be duplicated asdesired so as to make banks of such apparatus, thus simultaneouslyfeeding any reasonable number of lots of biscuits to be ejected intocartons or packages. To indicate this Figs 2 and 3 have been shown asbroken views.

It will be seen from the foregoing that this apparatus avoids any manualhandling of the biscuits from the time they are fed from the ovens untilthey are inserted in the cartons or packages. It is not necessary forthe operator ever to touch a single biscuit 1n this part of the workand, therefore, the desired sanitary conditions are achieved. Thebiscuits are not only fed automatically, partly under the influence ofgravity, but they are simultaneously stacked so as to form an accuratercharge for theintended package and they are delivered for insertion inthe package in this stacked condition. By arranging the conveyors sothat they operate successively in the same guides, the size of themachine for any given output is decreased.

It will be understood-that various changes may be resorted to in theform, construction and arrangement of the severa-l parts, withoutdeparting` from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do notintend to be limited to the details herein shown and described, exceptas they may be included in the claims. Y

What I claim is:

l. Apparatus of the character described comprising, Va guide forrthebiscuits having three walls', and-a conveyor for a lot of biscuitsadapted to move through the guide, said conveyor having three walls,whereby, when the conveyor is moving through the guide the lot ofbiscuits will be effectively confined by them on all sides.

2. Apparatus ofthe character described comprising, a plurality ofguidesfor the biscuits, a plurality of conveyors adapted to successively feedlots of biscuits through said guides, each said conveyor having aplurality of'operative ends,one end cooperatingwith each of theplurality of" guides.

Apparatus of the character described comprising, a pluralityof conveyorsfor feeding lots of biscuits, each conveyor including a pluralityofarms, an arm of one conveyor being arranged to travel between twoarins of another conveyor;

4:. Apparatus `of the character Vdescribed comprising, a conveyor forfeeding lots of biscuits, and means for actuatingisaid conveyor, saidmeans including afixed pivot and a floating pivot, mechanism for movingthe conveyor about` the` floatingk pivot to give the vconveyor ayswinging movement, and mechanism for bodily moving the floating pivot togive' the conveyor a longitudinal movement. n, 5. Apparatus of thecharacter described comprising, a guide for the biscuits, a'swingingconveyorfor feeding lots 0f biscuits through lsaidy guide, meanskforstacking the biscuits in the` conveyor, and means for swinging theconveyor slowly while it is 'beirg stacked -and Arelatively rapidlythere'- a er. c

6.' Apparatus of the character described comprising, a guide for thebiscuits, a swin ing conveyor for feeding lots of biscuits throughsaidguide, and means for moving theconveyor in the direction of itslongitudinal axis to withdraw itfrom the guide lafter it has yfed itslot of biscuits therethrough, and for returning it to the other end ofthe guideby swinging movement and ainovement in the direction of itslongitudinal axis taking'V place in a pathoutside of the guide.

7; Apparatus Vof the character described comprising,` a mechanicalconveyor for feeding lots of biscuits, means for stacking biscuits inthe conveyor, and a movable top on said conveyor, and automatic meansfor moving said top. ko avoid injury tothe last bissuit ofa lotI stackedtherein. j

8. Apparatus of the character described comprising, a conveyor forfeeding lots of biscuits, means for stacking biscuits in the conveyor, amovable top on said conveyor to avoid injury to the last biscuit of alot stacked therein, and a device in the path of travel of the conveyorfor engaging said top and moving it at the time the last biscuit of aIlot is stacked therein.

9. Apparatus of the character described comprising, a uide for thebiscuits in substantially the orm of an arc of a circle, a

conveyor for feeding lots of biscuits through the guide, said conveyorbeing pivotally mounted at substantially the center of the circle ofwhich the guide forms an arc, and means for swinging the conveyorsubstantially through a sector of the said circle and also moving theconveyor substantially on a 'm radius of the circle.

10. Apparatus of the character described comprislng, a guide for thebiscuits in substantially the form of an arc of a circle, a conveyor forfeeding lots of biscuits through the guide, said conveyor beingpivotally mounted at substantially the center of the circle of which theguide forms an arc, and means for swing the conveyor substantiallythrough a sector of the said circle and also movin the conveyor in twodirections substantia 1y on radii of the circle.

11. Apparatus of the character described comprismg, a plurality ofconveyors for feeding ots o biscuits, each conveyor including "55 aplurality of arms, an arm of one conveyor belng arranged to travelbetween tivo arms of another conveyor, and the conveying parts of eachconveyor following the same path of functional movement.

12. Apparatus of the character described comprising, a dguide for thebiscuits, a conveyor for fee ing lots of biscuits through the guide,means or stackinor the biscuits in the conveyor at one end of the guide,means for actuating the conveyor in its course of travel, includingmeans for swinging the conveyor slowly during said stacking, and meansfor removing the conveyor from the biscuits at the other end of theguide by a relatively quick axial movement.

13. Apparatus of the character described com rising, a plurality ofconveyors for feeding ots o biscuits, each conveyor having a. di erentand movable axis, each conveyor also havina series of biscuit-conveyingends, and

a num er of channels with which these conveyors cooperate less in numberthan the total number of biscuitconveying ends.

14. Apparatus of the character described comprising, a. conveyor forfeeding lots of biscuits, means for moving the conveyor along an arcuatepath from its point of loading to its point of discharge, means formoving the conveyor in a reverse direction along a different arcuatepath from its point of discharge to its point of loading, and means formoving the axis of said conveyor.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name this 5 2nd day of March, 1926.

JACOB HEINRICH LUDWlG BOETTCHER.

